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Here
are some GENERAL Do's and Don't's for support people to
go over with the person they are supporting. Just because
it's on the list, doesn't mean that it will pertain to
every situation. The best one to tell you, would be the
anxious person. Going over this with the anxious person,
beforehand, allows the two of you to add things that will
pertain to the situation.
Do:
-
Remember,
reason does not enter into panic.
-
Encourage
them to take charge of their own lives.
-
Remember
the anxiety person's perception may be different from
your own.
-
Keep
track of your style of encouraging. Take note of what
works and what doesn't.
-
Express
your own feelings, but make allowances for the fact
that the anxiety person is sensitive.
-
Remember
to be prompt. What may be only two minutes to you,
can seem like an hour to an anxious person.
- When
helping the anxious person to remain calm: anxiety/panic
attacks can be very dramatic to witness, so it's very
important that you remain calm. Stay focused on the
reality of the situation.
Don't:
-
Make
promises you can't keep.
-
Set
a time limit for improvement.
- Tell
other people about the anxious person without their
permission.
-
Keep
asking how they feel. This will only cause them to
focus on physical sensations. Let them tell you if
they are having any problems.
-
Plan
on running your errands when you're working with the
anxious person.
-
Expect
the anxious person to be able to do something again,
just because they did it once before. The anxious
person has low and high anxiety days. They can accomplish
more on low anxiety days.
-
Be
a support person if you feel you can't. Not everyone
has the time, patience, or understanding to be a support
person. It's better to be honest from the start.
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